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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — for a lock
  6. roll — a cake
  7. field — a subject
  8. spell — a short time
  9. field — for sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — letters
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. field — farmland
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mug — a face
  18. key — in music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spell — magic
  22. mug — to rob
  23. roll — a list
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com